Fast Food?

 Is fast food the new tobacco?

Fast food is, unfortunately, a centerpiece in most Americans' diets. With how accessible and fast it is, this is no surprise. For many people, fast food is their best option, it is easy, cheap, and can be on the go. In the case of low-income families, fast food is the most accessible for the family and kids. In the article Don’t Blame the Eater by David Zinczenko, he talks about how he was one of those kids in a low-income home and how it was up to him to choose a dinner and lunch of either Mcdonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut, or Taco Bell. These were the only foods available to him at the price he could afford. The problem with our food industry isn't the abundance of fast food it is the inaccessibility to a healthier option. In today's world, healthy food is treated as a luxury. Fast food is cheap, while healthy alternatives are more pricey, fast food is everywhere, but healthier food is not. Good food that fuels our bodies should not be a luxury and should be an accessible option for everyone. The stereotypical meal for most broke college students is ramen. This is because it is cheap and easy, just like fast food. For some families, this is what life is like every day, and they have to choose between paying the bills or buying healthy food. For students, it's between school and healthy food.

However, when it comes to food, there are some people who like to go to extremes. I watched a documentary called What the Health? It was about the dangers of food and the benefits of going vegan, but it was full of typical scare tactics. I’m sure that some of the information they were given was true and something to think about. Honestly, though, it just made me want to vomit. The documentary was targeting my fears of salmonella and food-causing diseases. The fact that they were also distorting graphs made it worse. I know that there is a benefit to going vegan and thinking about what we are putting into our bodies, but make sure to fact check your information!

So there are a lot of extremes when it comes to food and what we are fueling our bodies with, so what is the in-between or happy medium? I think that that depends on the person. For me I rarely get fast food or foods that contain too much grease, but that is because I am a student-athlete and have stomach problems. I also know people who get fast food every other day, and that works for them. I think finding a way to keep balance and make sure that healthy food is at the center of your diet, you can not go wrong. There is nothing wrong with needing to get fast food because it is quick and easy or because you are treating yourself. Having a healthy relationship with food is hard, so as long as your body is fueled and happy, that is all that matters to me!